Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

An additional eight people have been recorded as having passed due to Covid-19 so, as good as we are going and despite the progress we feel we have made through the lockdown, we must stay as vigilant as ever. Again, we thank our health services.

Covid-19 has presented significant challenges to many sectors but the Minister's portfolio of transport, tourism and sport is seeing especially significant fallout. My questions largely relate to transport and, in particular, buses. The Minister has acknowledged that the 2 m social distancing provision required at the moment means that only 20% of capacity can be used on a normal bus route. If it was reduced to 1 m, there would be up to 40% capacity. One does not have to be a genius to understand that no business can operate viably with a reduction in income of between 40% and 60% and up to 80%. Will the Minister give assurances that his Department will continue to support the provision of moneys to the public transport sector to overcome the losses it is suffering at this time?

Private bus operators run a number of scheduled services, both under public service obligations, PSOs, and in their own right. In order for them to remain viable, they will need an income support, either per seat or per journey, in the form of some type of a capitation grant. Otherwise, they will not be able to sustain business nor return to it.

On tourism, a number of Northern Irish operators provide bus services out of Dublin Airport, for which we are very grateful because this supports tourism throughout the country. How might this service be affected in the event of a WTO-rules Brexit outcome?

In the case of the PSO contracts that exist between Bus Éireann and private bus operators, parents and employers will need to have visibility before September as to what the situation will be with a return to operation by the providers.

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